Sub-committee formed to probe ‘illegal’ parking fees at new airport

Senate panel directs to review upgrades for CAA superintendents

ISLAMABAD: Even as top officials work to plug leaks at the new airport in Fateh Jhang — or deny they happened, a Senate panel has decided to look into another issue at the multi-billion rupees facility: illegal parking and entry fees.

This was discussed during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation which met at the Parliament House on Wednesday with Senator Mushahidullah Khan in the chair.



During the meeting, it was shared that illegal and high entry fees were being charged from visitors to the new Islamabad International Airport (IIA).

It was decided that sub-committee would be formed to further probe into the matter and to rationalise the fees.

The sub-committee will be headed by Senator Azam Swati with Senators Ateeq Sheikh and Shaheen Butt as its members.

The airport has a capacity to park 2,200 cars at its main parking, with nine entry and nine exit points. This is up from the 400 car capacity at the old Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) in Rawalpindi.

The sub-committee will also discuss the matter of up-gradation of posts of superintendents in basic pay scale (BPS) grade-17 of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the issues of unions.

The committee also deliberated over increasing delays and cancellations in national and international flights by a local carrier. The CAA was asked to take action and furnish a report to the committee on the flight schedule of the airline.

The committee also expressed strong concerns over the recent air safari to Skardu and did not accept the explanation provided by the national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The airline had explained that the flight was done purely for promotion purposes.



On Wednesday, the committee was told that the purpose of the flight was an attempt to promote tourism and thereby earn more revenue for the national flag carrier. PIA clarified that there was no mala fide intention behind the air safari.

The committee, however, observed that the incident should not have happened. The committee, though, directed the CAA to make arrangements for setting up an office for the protocol staff of the Senate Secretariat for facilitating parliamentarians as it will improve efficacy and will reduce the burden on the CAA staff. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2018.